Beyond the Draft

Paula Panariello didn't start writing until after she retired. She's the author of The Necklace series, a Regency-era historical romance trilogy following the Stanhope family in early 1800s England, and she's currently working on a new series set in her own hometown of Mercer, Pennsylvania, in the 1940s, with The Christmas That Love Came due out this fall.

In this episode, Paula shares the moment she decided to move from loving historical romance to writing it herself, why she chose a necklace as the connecting thread across her family saga, and how her own Midwest childhood shapes the settings and stories she's drawn to now. She also encourages other seniors to find the creative hobby they never thought to try.

What We Talked About:

1. Starting a writing career after retirement
2. Why she chose historical romance and the Regency era
3. Using a necklace as a symbolic thread across generations
4. Branching into small-town 1940s romance
5. Encouraging seniors to discover new creative hobbies

Connect with Paula Panariello:

Website: linked on her profile

Most of us know the names Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin, but history has largely overlooked the "ordinary man" who stood at the center of it all. Steve Vesce spent his career as an entrepreneur and CEO before a research project introduced him to Harry Hopkins, FDR's closest confidant and the visionary behind the New Deal. That discovery became his debut novel, One Ordinary Man, a 2025 American Writing Awards Finalist.

In this episode, Steve shares the moment during his research that convinced him this had to be a full novel, how Hopkins rose from an obscure Iowa social worker to a pivotal WWII strategist, and what it took to balance a CEO's discipline with the creative demands of writing an award-winning biographical epic.

What We Talked About:

1. The research spark that became a 600-page novel
2. How Harry Hopkins rose from obscurity to FDR's inner circle
3. The hidden "levers" behind the New Deal and WWII victory
4. Balancing a CEO's mindset with creative writing
5. Why the Greatest Generation's story still resonates today

Connect with Steve Vesce:

Website: stevevesce.com

Facebook & Instagram: linked on his profile

Will Severns was fired on a Tuesday and had his first clients by Wednesday morning. That origin story says everything about how he operates. As Chief Relationship Officer at ShareYourStory.com, he's spent seven years helping leaders, authors, and entrepreneurs find and share the stories the world hasn't heard yet, and he's the co-founder of Tablesetters, a free men's community built around real connection.

In this episode, Will shares what that first 24 hours after being fired taught him about security versus calling, what "story hunting" actually means and sounds like in conversation, and what he's learned building a community around nothing but a fire, a table, and genuine connection.

What We Talked About:

1. Fired on a Tuesday, first clients by Wednesday morning
2. The difference between storytelling and "story hunting"
3. Building Tablesetters around genuine, agenda-free connection
4. Stewardship over ego as an operating principle
5. Why no algorithm can replace actually knowing someone

Connect with Will Severns:

Website: shareyourstory.com

LinkedIn: linked on his profile

Michelle Miles believes in fairy tales, true love, and a little bit of magic in every story. With over two decades of writing and publishing experience, she's the author of fantasy romance, fairy tale retellings, paranormal adventure, and time travel fiction, and she hosts her own podcast, Miles Beyond the Page, where she talks with authors about their writing journeys.

In this episode, Michelle shares what first drew her to fairy tale retellings and how she makes familiar stories feel entirely her own, the hardest lesson she's learned balancing the art and business of indie publishing, and a piece of advice from a podcast guest that changed her own approach to writing. She also talks about building a sustainable, full-time creative career.

What We Talked About:

1. What draws her to fairy tale retellings
2. Balancing the art and business of indie publishing
3. Lessons learned from hosting Miles Beyond the Page
4. Blending romance, magic, and action in one story
5. Building a sustainable career as a full-time creative

Connect with Michelle Miles:

Website: michellemilesbooks.com

Podcast: Miles Beyond the Page

Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok & Threads: linked on her profile

Guy Morris escaped an abusive childhood at 13 to become a homeless runaway, yet earned three degrees by 25, including acceptance to Harvard's MBA program. After a 38-year leadership career across Fortune 100 software, tech, and global energy companies, he became a multi-award-winning author of intelligent thrillers often compared to Dan Brown and Michael Crichton, and wrote the nonfiction guide, The AI Tsunami: A Survival Guide for Humanity.

In this episode, Guy shares what carried him through his early years of hardship, the biggest misconception people still hold about where AI is actually headed, and how he decides which pieces of his own extraordinary life experience belong in his fiction. He also opens up about the deep research behind his thrillers and why he isn't afraid to write about politics and religion.

What We Talked About:

1. Surviving an abusive childhood and homelessness at 13
2. Earning three degrees and a Harvard MBA acceptance by 25
3. The truth about AI's risks and benefits, from an early pioneer
4. Turning real-life experience into thriller fiction
5. Why his books tackle politics and religion head-on

Connect with Guy Morris:

Website: guymorrisbooks.com

Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, Instagram & LinkedIn: linked on his profile

Steven Ferrara built one of the largest privately held financial services firms in the country, serving as CEO for 25 years. But his deepest work began after the loss of his 23-year-old son, which opened a 20-year journey of journaling, reflection, and spiritual transformation. That journey became his acclaimed book, From Grief to Gratitude: A New Paradigm on Death, praised by Jack Canfield as one of the best books on grief he's read.

In this episode, Steven shares the moment he realized his private journaling needed to become a book for others, how he chose the inner path of healing over anger and blame, and what it actually means to view death with curiosity rather than fear. He also breaks down the four steps of his Inner Pathway: acceptance, willingness, letting go, and gratitude.

What We Talked About:

1. The 20-year journaling journey that became a book
2. Choosing healing over anger and blame after unimaginable loss
3. A new paradigm for viewing death with curiosity instead of fear
4. The four steps of the Inner Pathway
5. How spiritual awakening shaped his 25 years as a CEO

Connect with Steven Ferrara:

Website: stevenferrara.com

Dianna Gunn decided she wanted to be an author at eight years old. Since then, she's published six fantasy and horror books, including the Moonshadow Rising Duology, and founded Weeknight Writers, an organization dedicated to virtual community and educational support for fiction writers.

In this episode, Dianna shares what convinced her that writers needed community as much as craft, why she built Weeknight Writers around virtual, accessible events, and how she balances writing her own books while running a full organization for other creatives. She also breaks down what writer's block really is and how to work through it.

What We Talked About:

1. Deciding to become an author at just eight years old
2. Why she founded Weeknight Writers
3. The power of virtual events for accessibility
4. Balancing her own writing with running a community
5. What writer's block actually is, and how to overcome it

Connect with Dianna Gunn:

Website: weeknightwriters.com

Free workbook: weeknightwriters.com/writers-block-buster/

YouTube & LinkedIn: linked on her profile

Shanti Hershenson has been creating stories since she could hold a crayon, and published her first two novellas back in the sixth grade. Now eighteen and a senior in high school, she's written 38 books, with 22 published, across science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary genres, and she's built a following of over 50,000 on TikTok while also advocating against bullying in schools.

In this episode, Shanti shares how her writing has evolved since she first started as a young child, why she chose to write her novel-in-poetry, You Won't Know Her Name, about middle school bullying, and how she genuinely balances school, an enormous body of published work, and a growing social media following. She also shares advice for other teenagers who feel like they don't have time to create.

What We Talked About:

1. Writing stories since she could hold a crayon
2. How her writing has evolved since sixth grade
3. Why she told her bullying story through poetry
4. Using TikTok to build a 50,000+ following as a teen author
5. Balancing school, writing, and advocacy work

Connect with Shanti Hershenson:

Website: shantihershenson.com

Amazon Author Page: linked on her profile

Twitter/X, Pinterest, Instagram & TikTok: linked on her profile

Carol Tice founded Freelance Writers Den in 2011 after struggling to earn a living as a writing coach and blogger. The community grew to over 1,500 paying members, generating nearly $6 million over a decade, before she sold it in 2021. Now, at 65, she's built a new platform, Community Growth Academy on Skool, teaching coaches and consultants how to build their own paid communities.

In this episode, Carol shares the turning point that convinced her a paid community was the right business model, the biggest bumps she hit while scaling the Den to seven figures, and why she chose to start something new after already achieving a major exit. She also opens up about staying on track as a full-time digital nomad living in an RV.

What We Talked About:

1. Founding Freelance Writers Den after freelancing struggles
2. Scaling to 1,500 paying members and nearly $6 million
3. Selling the Den in 2021 for life-changing money
4. Starting a new business at 65 with Community Growth Academy
5. Staying focused on business while living full-time in an RV

Connect with Carol Tice:

Community: skool.com/community-growth-academy/about

Ghostwriting: caroltice.com

Facebook, YouTube & LinkedIn: linked on her profile

After a 43-year career with ODOT, Robert Bowers began writing a few years before retirement, turning a lifetime of fishing, hunting, and unexplained encounters into stories that blend humor, suspense, and a touch of the supernatural. He's the author of the four-volume Campfire Tales From Uncle Rob series, along with cryptid horror novels Red Eyes at Black Mesa and Have Dog Will Travel.

In this episode, Robert shares what finally pushed him to start writing down decades of real-life stories, an unexplained moment from his years outdoors that still stays with him, and how he decides where true storytelling ends and fiction begins. He also opens up about why people remain so fascinated by cryptids and the unexplained.

What We Talked About:

1. 43 years at ODOT before writing became his full-time focus
2. An unexplained encounter from his outdoor life
3. The line between true stories and cryptid fiction
4. Why cryptids and the unknown fascinate so many people
5. Starting a creative career later in life

Connect with Robert Bowers:

Website: linked on his profile

Books: available on Amazon

Facebook & Instagram: linked on his profile